5 Practices That Help Newcomers Get Involved
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says churches often operate in ways that make it hard for new people to get involved, even if…
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First-time Visitor’s Survey Invites Feedback and Holy Conversation
When Harvest Church in South Georgia sends a follow-up message to worship visitors it includes a request for their feedback. This opens the door to…
Lewis Center Adds Two New Video-based Adult Christian Studies to Wesley Ministry Network
News Release LEWIS CENTER ADDS TWO NEW VIDEO-BASED ADULT CHRISTIAN STUDIES TO WESLEY MINISTRY NETWORK The Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary…
5 Keys to Great Online Worship Hospitality
Olu Brown says churches that livestream their worship need to be intentional about making online attendees feel welcome by showing love through hospitality. He outlines…
Welcoming Is the Top Factor in Church Choice
A recent study among spiritual seekers aged 25–49 suggests they have a strong desire for genuine community. Knowing everyone will be welcomed, making friends and…
To the Point: A Letter to Churches Seeking New Members
My husband and I moved to the city a few years ago and have been “between churches.” We’ve been to visit quite a few of…
50 Ways to Welcome New People
One key to effective outreach is making sure that worship visitors feel truly welcome. These 50 Ways will help your congregation make a good first…
3 Welcoming Strategies that Can Backfire
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff says that churches sometimes reach out to newcomers in ways that are off-putting or even counterproductive. Unfortunately, several…
First Impressions Are Formed Earlier Than You Think
Kay Kotan and Blake Bradford explain that a church visitor’s first impression is often formed long before they enter the sanctuary. So, hospitality needs to…
6 Ways to Create a Guest-Friendly Worship Service
How can you position your church for increased attendance and growth? John Zehring, author of Get Your Church Ready to Grow, suggests six strategies that…
Welcoming Change Begins with You
Simple habits of congregational life, such as always sitting in the same pew or greeting the same people after worship, might seem normal and innocuous.…
4 Reasons Visitors Do Not Return
Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe says it’s important not only to attract visitors, but to create a space where they will want to stay.…
Beyond Hospitality to Inclusion
David Brubaker says that most congregations are quick to welcome newcomers but slow to extend a much deeper form of acceptance — genuine inclusion in…
Stories — Your Website’s Secret Sauce
Stories of transformation inspire people to engage in matters of faith. But people rarely hear these stories unless they’re already sitting in the pews. Will…
Pet Peeves of a Church Visitor
Churches need their most positive, smiling, warmest personalities on their front lines, says Greg Atkinson. Your parking lot team, greeters, ushers, and welcome desk volunteers…
What’s Your Goal for Visitor Follow-Up?
Lovett H. Weems, Jr. says the traditional approach to visitor follow-up aimed at moving people quickly toward membership may not fit well in an era…
7 Ways to Help Unchurched Guests Feel Welcome without Selling Out
Making new people feel welcome isn’t a sell out to a marketing and customer service mentality, says Rich Birch. It’s consistent with Scripture’s overarching theme…
Is Your Coffee Hour Chaotic Enough?
Researcher Kirk Hadaway has discovered that coffee hour in rapidly growing Episcopal churches is different than in the average congregation. It tends to be more…
Five Keys to Becoming a More Inclusive Community
Mark DeYmaz and Bob Whitesel maintain that congregations must become more inclusive communities that embrace oneness across race and class distinctions. They advise that churches…
Making Outsiders Feel like Insiders
Growing churches are churches that have learned that God intends for us to be a people for others. The church needs more than its pastor…
Can New People Navigate Your Worship?
Many churches have a way of doing things that doesn’t allow for new people to connect. Without even knowing it, we exclude those we truly…
Your Building Has More Signs Than You Think
Your building has way more signs than you think it does: The locked front door, the boxes piled up in corners that assault the newcomer’s…
The Tardy Guest
In an ideal world, everyone would arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for worship. They would greet five people as they walk toward the building…
All Are (Not) Welcome
Church people might see themselves as welcoming, because they run promotions claiming, “Our doors are open,” and “Our lights are on,” or maybe they hang…
10 Best Practice Tips for Hospitality Teams
Fiona Haworth and Jim Ozier, authors of Clip-In: Risking Hospitality in Your Church, offer ten tips for improving the work of your hospitality team and…
The Color of Your Advent Candles Doesn’t Matter
I have no patience for debates over the color of Advent candles and whether or not to sing Christmas songs in Advent. God became incarnate,…
Create New Entry Points
Churches have long assumed that new people would engage their congregations by first attending worship. When they are not growing and attracting new people, people…
Why Community Engagement Matters
This five-minute video by Lewis Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provides an overview of the importance of community engagement to the church. Download this…
The Ten Minute Rule
The first impression guests leave with determines whether they will be back. So what is it that goes into a good first impression? We interviewed…
Welcoming Newcomers to Your Congregation
How can you best welcome the next newcomer who crosses the threshold of your congregation? Consider Jesus’ call to the disciples. When he said, “Follow…
